AI Article Synopsis
- Conspiracy theories can provide a sense of belonging and identity for believers, fulfilling their social needs.
- These theories can also lead to conflict between groups, undermine democratic processes, and negatively impact public health.
- Future research should focus on the social motivations behind belief in conspiracy theories to develop better strategies for reducing their harmful effects.
Article Abstract
While conspiracy theories may offer benefits to those who believe in them, they can also foster intergroup conflict, threaten democracy, and undercut public health. We argue that the motivations behind conspiracy theory belief are often related to social identity. Conspiracy theories are well-positioned to fulfill social identity needs such as belongingness goals, the need to think highly of one's in-group, and the need to feel secure in one's group status. Understanding the social motives that attract people to conspiracy theories should be a focus of future research, and may be key to creating more successful interventions to reduce socially harmful conspiracy theories.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101423 | DOI Listing |
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